SYRACUSE — Centro is taking 56 new buses to the streets of Syracuse.
The new vehicles use compressed natural gas (CNG) for power and are scheduled to start serving bus stops by the end of September. They will replace buses that are at the end of a 12-year lifespan.
“We are committed to CNG as our primary propulsion system for our bus fleet in Syracuse,” Centro Executive Director Frank Kobliski said in a news release. “CNG buses have proven to be less expensive to operate than petroleum-based fueling systems, which [are] a significant variable in the current climate of volatile gasoline prices.”
Centro is also rolling out a new set of graphics on the buses. The mass-transportation provider is replacing its current look, which it calls a wave pattern, with a three-stripe design. And the new buses feature destination signs with brighter displays that are intended to be easier to see in poor weather.
Orion Bus Industries manufactured the 56 new vehicles. They were some of the last buses the company made before shuttering its bus manufacturing in Oriskany, according to Centro.
Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com